Embracing Mayhem, Magic, and Mates

our ass

ey House that has been mine since I was twelve. The air was thick with the scent of nostalgia and anticipation as I stared at the sea of cardboard boxes

right, Grace! Mystical Aca

couldn't help but reminisce about my time here. The room, once filled with the lively chatter of sleepovers and the laughter of teenage

ce of my mom. Everything else was gone, and it almost felt like being born again. According to the doctors, it was a miracle that I survived the crash with a few cuts and bruises.

was the second present she gave me when we moved here. I picked up the plushies and hugged them to

ver feel alone

her missions were, but I knew that she always came back to me no matter what. Excep

d take the

er dark auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun with sticks and twigs poking out in different areas. She had soft features with a face that said, 'I just pulled a fre

Aunt Cassie. I don't nee

're right, but sometimes taking

tcase before sitting on my bed. She looked aro

art," I w

d with both pride and sorrow. "It's just so hard to beli

But this is what I've been preparing for, right?" Aunt Cassie nervously wrung the hem of her ski

y side since I had her. Nothing is ever good enough for her. She gets that from her father's

Well, I'll keep my

bum, flipping through pages that unfolded stories of our epic adventures, h

d, holding up a faded picture of my mom

get? I confused

, we ever had," Aunt Cassi

e. "Mom was so mad and couldn't he

all of us since my cousin was the only one who applied. I was actually ecstatic. MAAC, Mystical Academy for All Creatures, had all the fantas

e more I realized that the car crash was no accident, and I'm very aware that she never talked about my dad. I figured he was the one trying to kill us. At least, that's my theory. S

down. "Are you...sure about this, Dessa? There's

e. Maybe whatever we were running from got to her. I have to prepare if

irl. You're going to do amazing things there,

her way over to the window. "Cool your jets, Gracie Ann! The

rant color walls were adorned with memories captured in photographs, tables covered with trinkets and weird-looking herbs, the smell of patchouli misted in the air

u always have a p

breath and nod